Railroad-tie.



J. A. MoGORMIGK & E. E. THRASHER.

RAILROAD TIE.

' APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 13, 1908. 925,825. Patented June 22, 1909.

2 SHEEN-SHEET 1.

W/ TNE SSE 8 I N VEN T086 4 TTOHNEYS J. A. MOGORMIUK & E. E. THRASHER.

RAILROAD TIE.

APPLIOATIONIILED JUNE 13. 1908.

925,825, Patented June 22,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTORNE Y8 r: namws FETERS 50., WASHINGTON, n, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH ALEXANDER MCCORMICK AND ELMER E. THRASHER, OF CUMBERLAND, MARYLAND.

RAILROAD-TIE.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH ALEXANDER MCCORMICK and ELMER E. THRASHER, citizens of the United States, and both residents of Cumberland, in the county of Allegany and State of Maryland, have invented a new and Improved Railroad-Tie, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to railroad ties, and more particularly to railroad ties each comprising a body, and pivoted end sections arranged to swing into longitudinal alinement with the body, and, like the latter, having lips adapted to engage rail bases to clamp the rails in position.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong and durable railroad tie by means of which rails can be securely clamped in position without the use of spikes or the like, and which can be easily operated to release the rails.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described, by means of which the railroad rails can be firmly secured in position and held against accidental displacement, in which the swinging end sections which serve to clamp the rails can be locked in o erative positions, and by means of which t e adjacent ends of rails can be joined without the use of fish plates.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tie of our invention showing rail sections supported and clamped in position thereon; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of one end of the tie, showing a rail in position thereon; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing one of the swinging end sections inoperatively disposed; Fig. 4 is a plan view of one end of a tie; Fig. 5 is an end view of the device showing a rail in position thereon; Fig. 6 is an end view showing a tie of modified form in which means are provided for obviating the use of fish plates; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of one end of the tie body of modified form; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a modified form of our invention, partly in longitudinal section; and Fig. 9 is Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 13, 1908.

' Patented June 22, 1909.

Serial No. 438,297.

understood that any other suitable material can be employed, for example, cast metal, though we prefer to fashion the ties from sheet metal and of any thickness, width or height. In the preferred form, the edges of the sheet of metal from which the body is formed meet at the under side thereof, as is shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 5. If so desired, however, the edges can be arranged to overlap and can be secured by means of rivets 11, as is shown in Fig. 6. The ends of the body are open, and adjacent to each end the upper face thereof has parallel, inwardly extending cuts which allow the forming of an upwardly disposed and offset lip 12. The latter is shaped to engage at the base of a track rail 13 to hold the same in position. The invention thereby does away with the use of fish plates.

\Ve em loy end sections 14 which are provided wit 1 extensions 15 at the sides. The end sections are of slightly less width than the body, so that the extensions 15 can project into the body and be positioned adjacent to the sides thereof. The extensions 15 and the sides of the body are provided, near the lower edges, with registering openings 16 through which extend hinge or pivot bolts 17 which effect a swinging connection between the body and the end sections. The extensions are rounded at the upper edges to permit the free movement of the sections with respect to the body. For a like purpose, the lower adjacent ends of the bottoms of the body and the sections are cut away, as are the adjacent edges of the tops. Further registering openings 18 are provided in the extensions 15 and the sides of the body to receive locking bolts 19 which serve to hold the sections in longitudinal alinement with the body. The tops of the sections, at the edges adjacent to the body, have formed thereon lips 20 similar to the lips 12 of the body, and for a like purpose. The lips 12 and 20 serve firmly to hold the track rails, engaging at the bases of the rails at each side of the webs, as is shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. To release a rail it is merely necessary to remove the locking bolt to permit the end section to swing into the position shown in Fig. 3. This movement displaces the lip 20 and allows the rail to be removed without difficulty. The hinge bolt and the locking bolt are arranged one above the other and directly underneath the rail. The latter rests upon the tops of the body and the adjacent end section and upon the edges of the same, and is thus suitably supported. If it is inconvenient or impossible to permit the end section to swing downward, both the locking bolt and the hinge bolt can be withdrawn and the end removed completely from the body to permit the displacement of the rail.

In Fig. 6, is shown a form of our invention which obviates the necessity of using fish plates in joining the ends of rails. The tie for this purpose, may be somewhat wider than the ordinary tie, and has the lips 12 and 20 provided with upward extensions 21 adapted to be arranged adjacent to the rail webs, and having'openings or holes to receive bolts .22 which pass through the rail webs in the customary manner, to join the ends of the rails, thereby preventing the rails from sagging.

Both the hinge bolts and the locking bolts, if so desired, may be held in place by means of linch pins, or the like, though preferably we employ nuts for this purpose as well as bolts with square heads to allow the use of wrenches.

It should be understood that the ties can be made any desired length so that they can be utilized at track intersections, switches and similar points.

In the modified form of the tie shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the lower ends of the bottom of the body instead of being cut away to permit the free swinging of the sections are formed into downwardly disposed flanges 23 adapted to be forced into or buried in the road bed to hold the tie in position against lateral or other displacement. The flanges may be rectangular in form, as is shown most clearly in Fig. 9, or may be otherwise shaped to facilitate its movement into the road bed. The sections, in this form of the die, are cut away at the end adjacent to the body, in the same manner as in the preferred form of the tie.

In cutting the blanks of sheet metal or other similar material from which the sections are formed, the extensions 15 can be rounded by making suitable, curved cuts, which separate the upwardly disposed extensions 21 which constitute the fish plates. This gives the extensions 21 outwardly disposed extremities, thereby lengthening the extremities 21 and avoiding waste of material. It will be understood that the extensions 21 may have any suitable number of openings to receive the bolts '22 which join t e rail ends by means of the fish plates.

ing open ends, end sections each provided with extensions projecting into one of said open ends, hinge bolts pivotally securing said extensions to said body, and locking bolts for. removably holding said sections rigid with respect to said body, said body and said sections having rail holding lips.

3. A railroad tie comprising a hollow body having an open end, a section having extensions projecting into said open end, a hinge bolt passing through said body and said extensions, and a locking bolt adapted to pass removably through said body and said extensions to hold said section rigid with respect to said body, said body and said section being formed to clamp a rail in position when said body and said sections are arranged in predetermined relative positions.

4. A railroad tie comprising a hollow body having an open end, a section arranged at said open end of said body and having extensions projecting into said body and each adapted to be positioned adjacent to one of the sides of said body, said body and said extensions having alined openings, a hinge bolt in said openings, said body and said extensions having further openings adapted to register when said body and said section are in alinement, and a removable locking bolt within said further opening, said body and said extensions being cut away at adjacent ends at the bottom, said extensions having the upper ends rounded, said body and said section having means for clamping a rail in position when said body and said section are alined.

5. A railroad tie comprising a body and a pivoted section, said section having an extension projecting into said body and adapted to be secured thereto to hold said body and said section in alinement, said body and said section being provided with integral lips adapted to engage a rail base to clamp the rail in position when said body and said section are arranged in predetermined relative positions, and means for locking said body and said sections in the predetermined position, said body having downwardly disposed members adapted to enter the road bed to hold the tie in position.

6. A railroad tie comprising a body and a pivoted section, said section having an extension projecting into said body and adapted to be secured thereto to hold said body and said section in alinement, said body and said section being provided with integral lips adapted to engage a rail base to clamp the rail in position when said body and said section are arranged in longitudinal alinement, and means for holding said body and said section in longitudinal alinement, said body having adjacent to said section a cut away part to form a downwardly disposed flange adapted to enter the road bed to hold the tie in position.

7. A railroad tie, comprising an openended hollow body, end sections provided with extensions projecting into said body, said extensions and said body having openings adapted to register, pivot bolts in certain of said openings, and locking bolts in others of said openings, said body and said sections having integral, upwardly disposed lips formed to engage rail bases and adapted to clamp rails in position when said body and said section are in alinement, said body and said sections being cut away at the bottoms at adjacent ends, said body having downwardly disposed flanges at its cut away parts adapted to enter the road bed to hold the tie in position.

8. A railroad tie, comprising an openended hollow body, end sections provided with extensions projecting into said body and having a pivotal connection therewith, said body and said sections having lips formed to engage rail bases, and means for locking said sections in alinelnent with said body to clamp the rails between said lips.

9. A railroad tie, comprising an openended hollow body, end sections provided with extensions projecting into said body, said extensions and said body having openings adapted to register, pivot bolts in certain of said openings, and locking bolts in others of said openings, said body and said sections having integral upwardly disposed lips formed to engage rail bases and adapted to clamp rails in position when said body and said sections are in alinement.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH ALEXANDER MCCORMICK. ELMER E. THRASIIER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE T. KELLER, FRANCIS S. DEEKENS. 

